Principal's Office

Prof James Calleja

Profs Joachim James Calleja
Principal and CEO

Professor James Calleja has been involved in Vocational Education and Training since 2001. Before his appointment as Principal and CEO of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology in June 2018, Mr Calleja was Director of the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training (Cedefop) from 2013 to May 2018. Before joining Cedefop, he served as Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Employment in his native Malta from 2011 to 2013. Professor Calleja is also the President of the European Forum for Vocational Education and Training (EfVET) a Europe-wide organisation representing VET training providers. Since 2016, he serves as Council Member on the Hong Kong Council for the Accreditation of Vocational and Academic Qualifications (HKCAVAQ).

In 2005 he was entrusted with the setting up of the Malta Qualifications Council where he served as Chief Executive up to December 2010. He is an Associate Professor and served as Council member of the University of Malta.

Prof Calleja is a graduate of the Universities of Malta, Padua (Italy) and Bradford (UK) from where he obtained his PhD in International Relations. Since 2001, he has been an accredited commercial mediator with CEDR (London).

In 2001, he was appointed Administrative Director of the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology and in 2004 he moved to the European Training Foundation in Turin. He started his working life at the Foundation for International Studies at the University of Malta (1986-1995) followed by other upward career moves to the United Nations International Institute on Ageing (1995-1998) and to the Ministry of Economic Services Malta (1998-2001). He represented Malta on the European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group, on CEDEFOP’s Governing Board and on the Bologna Follow-Up Group.

A prolific writer, Prof Calleja has published books and articles and has edited various publications. He is the co-author of the Malta Referencing Report of the Malta Qualifications Framework to the EQF and EHEA. He has participated in international events in many countries in Europe, North America, South-East Asia, Australia, Canada, Africa, South Africa, the Middle East, and in the Mediterranean region.

 +356 23987303

 james.calleja@mcast.edu.mt

edelBIO

Ms Edel Cassar
Director MCAST Strategy Implementation Office

Ms Edel Cassar has been entrusted to run the Strategy Implementation Office. Ms Cassar is an educator by profession with an educational background in psychology, sociology, human resources and training. Her work experience started off as a teacher and proceeded towards specialisation in EU projects, in particular funding coordination in the public sector. Ms Cassar occupied the position of Chief Executive Officer within the Commission for Further and Higher Education, the entity responsible for recognition, validation and accreditation of further and higher education in Malta. Ms Cassar also headed the National Skills Council and the Scholarships Unit within the Ministry for Education and Employment. Ms Cassar is also a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta and an assessor on the Erasmus + programme.

 edel.cassar@mcast.edu.mt

””

photo (1)

Dr. Caroline Demarco
Director in the Office of the Principal
 Legal Affairs and Data Protection

 Dr. Caroline Demarco is the Director Legal Affairs and Data Protection Officer in the Office of the Principal. She is a legal professional with a remarkable career spanning the realms of Information Technology and Law. Her journey of knowledge began with a passion for both management and IT, leading her to pursue a degree in Management in IT, where she honed her skills in the dynamic world of technology. For the subsequent decade, she played a pivotal role in the commercial department of a prominent telecommunications company, contributing to the growth and success of the organization. Eager to broaden her horizons, Caroline went on to obtain a Master’s in Business Administration (MBA e-Business), further strengthening her acumen in strategic decision-making and organizational management in the technology domain. This led Caroline to transition to the government IT agency, where she spent 13 years in the contracts and legal department. After embarking on a diverse academic path, where she obtained a Teacher’s Warrant empowering her to impart knowledge to different generations in the realms of Information Technology, her commitment to lifelong learning led her to delve into the world of law, culminating in the achievement of a diploma in Legal Procurator and a Bachelor of Laws Degree (LL.B), cementing her expertise in the legal domain by later pursuing a Masters in Advocacy. Over the past two years, Caroline has demonstrated her versatility and adaptability by serving as a legal advisor to the Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the Ministry of Health’s Information Management Unit. In this capacity, with her substantial knowledge and astute skills in Information Technology and Law, she has provided invaluable legal counsel and proved to be an indispensable asset in handling data protection and contractual legal matters

caroline.demarco@mcast.edu.mt

Tel: 23987271

bioFrancesca

Ms Francesca Attard
(Deputy Director – Policy Analyst)

In May 2019, Francesca Attard was appointed Deputy Director – Policy Analysis becoming part of the MCAST Principal’s office team. Francesca is a graduate of the University of Malta, acquiring a Bachelor’s Degree in Management in 2006 and consequently a Master of Arts in European Studies in 2013. She continued her professional development by attending other specialised courses in leadership and management, communication skills and speech writing.

Her career in policy commenced at the Ministry of Education and Employment, as a Research Manager in EU and International areas related to Education, Employment, Youth and Sport. Before that, she gained work experience in the private sector in areas related to media, tourism, EU funding and also the pharmaceutical industry.

She also has a keen interest in photography. Her photography features people from all walks of life. Throughout the years, she has specialised in Maternity and Newborn Photography, an artistic niche which is very dear to her.

 francesca.attard@mcast.edu.mt